Video - 001 - Biting the Bullet

[shirtphobia]

[Cover your ears, Prospero, because it's about to get noisy in here.]

Finally this wretched thing decides to work. I have one or two things to say to you.

Firstly, very funny. I would prefer it if you returned me to Shadow Moses right this instant. Things to do, people to fight, giant robots to pilot. You know how it is. And you clearly have the technology if you brought me here this easily.

If you're behind this, Mantis, I hope you realize you're in big trouble once I get out of this. And if this is VR... then GET ME THE HELL OUT OF IT RIGHT NOW OR ELSE I'M GOING TO MURDER YOU ONCE I GET OUT!

...

If this thing isn't working after all, I am going to break it.

[And also feel very silly.]

Comments

[forgivethemtheirpain]

Not shadows, Shadows! That's what they're called. The things that infest the city at night.

[shirtphobia]

...

That's the same word. [A pause. Hm... maybe, though? He sounds a little awkward saying this.] Did you have a nightmare or something?

[forgivethemtheirpain]

I'm not a kid, geez! What is with you people? *sigh* You'll see what happens tonight, I guess. Although it's too cold to go out most of the time...

[shirtphobia]

You do look rather young. The cold isn't a deterrent for me. I came here from Alaska.

[Without a shirt on.]

So tell me about these Shadows of yours, then.

[forgivethemtheirpain]

I do not.

They appear during the Dark Hour, when the sky changes and everything goes weird. All the captives have the ability to fight them, and it looks like the people who brought us here sent them.

[shirtphobia]

...yes. Yes you do.

So in essence I've been dragged into a battle royale between-

-hold on. You don't look like any sort of soldier.

[forgivethemtheirpain]

I don't!

I'm not, really. The captives are all kinds of people. Soldiers, old people, kids, businesspeople, hobos, royalty, gods. I think there's a lawyer and a bartender around here somewhere.

[shirtphobia]

.
.
.

Excuse me?

[The fuck?]

How are civilians meant to fight?

[forgivethemtheirpain]

I don't know. The only thing they have is the same thing the rest of us have. Something called Persona. I haven't even got mine yet...

[shirtphobia]

Persona? What is that?

...if this is going to turn into some "strength of heart" bullshit...

[forgivethemtheirpain]

It's not! But even if it were, there's nothing wrong with that, either. Hmph.

[shirtphobia]

Of course there is. The only strength that matters is strength in combat.

"Heart" nonsense belongs in fairy stories.

[forgivethemtheirpain]

It belongs everywhere.

[shirtphobia]

And you say you're not a kid.

[forgivethemtheirpain]

I know better.

[shirtphobia]

[Raucous laughter.]

Do you believe in fairy tales too, kid? The prince on the white horse coming to save the idiot princess?

That's the stupidest thing I ever heard. "Heart" has no place in the real world.

[forgivethemtheirpain]

You're the one who has no idea what the real world is.

[shirtphobia]

You've never even seen the real world, have you?

Sorry, kid. But civilians delude themselves all the time. I'm not going to be offended by the foolish beliefs of a girl who's never had blood on her hands.

[forgivethemtheirpain]

I don't really think you'd believe me.

[shirtphobia]

No. I probably wouldn't.

[He's a little jealous. Jealous of that faith. That belief in the world.]

[forgivethemtheirpain]

Even if I look like a normal girl to you, I know more than you're going to give me any credit for. Without heart, you can't do anything in the end.

[shirtphobia]

You're very strange, girl. If we take "heart" to mean "whatever drives us", then that might fit. But otherwise it seems entirely irrelevant. Human emotions are little more than foolishness. Lies. Deception, used to manipulate people into feeling better.

[forgivethemtheirpain]

I knew somebody who thought that once, too.

[shirtphobia]

...tch. What's your name? I can hardly keep calling you "kid" all the time. The joke will go sour.

[forgivethemtheirpain]

...Lucia. Nanami Lucia.